Method of article identification through color determination

Optics: measuring and testing – By shade or color

Patent

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Details

356407, 250226, 209580, G01J 350

Patent

active

059332441

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention concerns a method of color detection and also a method of sorting different colored articles; and particularly but not exclusively a method of detecting the color of and sorting gambling chips, and other rotary symetrical colored articles.
When detecting the colors of, and sorting into different colored groups, articles such as gambling chips, problems can be encountered due to the variation in shades of the chips and/or dirt on the chips. Particular problems have also been encountered with patterned chips. These may have for example a central portion of a different color or colors, and/or bands or patches around the chip.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of detecting the color of an article, the method comprising sensing the color of the article at a plurality of places on the article and integrating the color measured with respect to the number of places sensed.
The article is preferably moved relative to the means sensing the color of the article, during the sensing, to provide the sensing at different places across the article, and the color measured is integrated with respect to time.
The color sensing means preferably divides light received from the article into one or more spectra, and the relative intensities across the or each spectra are measured to determine the color.
The or each spectra measured are preferably divided into bands across the spectra, and the color measured across each band is preferably integrated, desirably with respect to the frequency in each band. The or each spectra measured are preferably converted into discreet spectra.
According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of determining the color of an article, the method comprising sensing the color of the article a plurality of times, with the article in a different orientation to the sensing means at each sensing, and integrating the color measured with respect to the number of senses. The article is preferably detected by a method according to any of the preceding four paragraphs.
The invention further provides a method of sorting articles by virtue of their color, the method comprising measuring one or more test articles by a method according to any of the preceding five paragraphs, measuring an article to be sorted by said method, comparing the color measurements obtained to ascertain whether the article to be sorted corresponds to the or a one of the test articles.
Preferably a plurality of test articles of the or each of the colors for which sorting is required are measured, or a single test article of the or each color for which sorting is required is measured a plurality of times.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows color sensing apparatus usable with a method according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a functional diagram of an analog-digital converter usable with the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3 and 4 are timing diagrams of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 in use; and
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of an article the color of which can be sensed using the apparatus of FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically color measurement apparatus 10 for measuring the color of a gambling chip X. Apparatus according to the applicant's co-pending U.K. Patent Application No. 9501359.5 could be used in a method according to the present invention, and the apparatus of FIG. 1 could be incorporated in a device for sorting gambling chips as described in this prior specification.
The apparatus 10 comprises an illuminating halogen lamp 11 provided with a reflector. The lamp 11 faces a downwardly inclined mirror 12 for shining light downwardly onto a gambling chip X held in a chip holder 13. An inlet slit 14 is provided on the far side of the chip X from the lamp 11 for focusing a beam of light from the chip X. Light passing through the slit 14 strikes a collimator lens 15 which transforms the diverging beam of light from the slit 14 into a parallel beam

REFERENCES:
patent: 2022327 (1935-11-01), Sheldon
patent: 5374988 (1994-12-01), Wertz et al.

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